The Bronze Pig

I read The Bronze Pig (The Metal Pig, according to older translations, which actually say that the pig was made of brass) some time ago, but have only just gotten around to doing a drawing from it on account of some turbulence in my life.  (Speaking of my life, I showed some art this past weekend at Zeitgeitst's Analog Frontiers show - it's up until the end of March, I believe.) Anyway, The Bronze Pig is sort of an art-appreciation story for children.  (Maybe I should do a fully illustrated version and pitch it to some publishing houses as such?)  The statue of a pig comes to life and escorts a street urchin around Florence, exposing him to such works of art as Michelangelo's David.  These adventures inspire the child to devote his life to art, he achieves some success, and - almost as an afterthought to the body of the story - dies.  I suppose Andersen at the last regretted not making this tale more morbid, and tacked on that last little detail: that, in death anyway, this young artist gained recognition.
It has become my custom to illustrate specific lines from these stories; the ones I found especially irresistible.  I haven't done that this time*, instead I've chosen to depict the scene in which the pig and his young charge gaze in awe upon the statue of David, who - if only in part - was a pleasure to draw.  And, what can I say?  I heart drawing piggies.

The little boy said not a word; he was half pleased and half afraid.

[Graphite. Moleskine. 5x8"]


* If I were to choose such a delicious line from this story, it may very well be this one: "it is quite a picture to see a half-naked boy clasping the well-formed creature by the head, as he presses his rosy lips against its jaws."

Nothing But Meat

I wrote previously that I had an especially captivating image (in my opinion) selected to illustrate for The Magic Galoshes / The Goloshes of Fortune.  I went on to mention that I've been referencing no fewer than three different translations of Andersen in this project, so some discrepancies are to be expected.  The image I've chosen to illustrate this time is described thusly by Haugaard and H. P. Paull (translator of the online [public domain 1872] translation I've been referencing), respectively:

"Now he was crawling on his hands and knees through a butcher shop.  Everywhere there was meat and more meat."

"Next he crept on his hands and knees through an overfilled butcher’s shop; there was meat, nothing but meat, wherever he stepped..."

I prefer the Paull translation, personally.
Without further ado, here is a sketch I've done based on that line.  There is a pretty good chance that this sketch will become a painting or a more finished drawing one of these days, as I am rather fond of it.

Meat, Nothing But Meat

More Steampunk Scans

Honestly, I'm still not completely thrilled with the quality of these scans, but at least they don't have the glare problem that plague those awful iPhone photos I take so many of.

V.V

XII.II

VIII.XXIX

P.S. - The Raven, probably the final piece in this series, is now complete as well.  I have no pictures suitable for posting here yet, but once I've got one, I'll post it.

Steampunk-er

For those of you following along at home, the Frog is finished (except for a minute finishing touch that I can't - for reasons beyond my control - fill in yet).  Also in my flickr photostream is a better scan of the Moose.

Mermaid II

I said I'd replace that dark photo of my Little Mermaid drawing with a scan, but it has grown on me, so I'm leaving it where it is and uploading the scan here. Better? Worse? Neutral?

The Little Mermaid

What can I say about my Little Mermaid drawing? No obscure references this time, just a mermaid... of the little persuasion. I wanted to give her a frilly, fancy goldfish tail. 'Nuff said.
This is a bad photo, taken on impulse immediately following the drawing's completion. I'll most likely replace it with a scan when I get one.

Boobies!

The Naughty Child/The Traveling Companion

The Naughty Child, while conjuring fantastic images of an aged pedophile taking a drenched and naked child in out of the rain, I was in no particular hurry to illustrate it. In fact, it became something of a roadblock, keeping me from this project for... *gasp*... three months now! For shame.

So I finally scribbled something that is not so much an illustration of the story itself, but kind of a silly reinvention of the iconic "cupid" character.

Sorrow and many a heartache

While I was on a roll, I managed to put down Murakami's Dance Dance Dance long enough to read The Traveling Companion. It inspired no shortage of images that I would love to put on paper - the glass-eyed, handlebar-mustachioed, wooden puppets were awfully tempting - but I couldn't say no to a princess' garden dripping with the skeletons of dead suitors.

It was really a doleful garden for a princess.

Inchelina

Inchelina, better known as Thumbelina. Drawn entirely on my iPhone with the SketchBook Mobile App.

Oh no! I must have deleted this picture from my flickr account!
I will try to dig it up and re-post it ASAP!

EDIT 1.2.2011: Found her! She was still in the SketchBook App's gallery on my old iPhone.

Something Was Ticking Inside

Deviation

This is really what this project was for in the first place. Nothing gets my brain thinking about what it really wants to do, or would rather do, than having a specific task to complete. Not wanting to illustrate the next Andersen tale I've got lined up to work on, I managed to eke out this Decemberists-inspired piece.

The Whores And Hounds

I wouldn't go so far as to say it's finished, but it IS more finished than it's ever been before.

Re-Launch

It seems that I may never finish reading Inchelina (a.k.a. Thumbelina), let alone creating an illustration for it. In the meantime, I've done a watercolor version of my kickoff illustration: the one I did for The Tinderbox. Purple and yellow - Huzzah!

Menacing or Cowering?

The Princess And The Pea

A more familiar story, The Princess and the Pea; and a more successful drawing. And yes, it's been illustrated many times before.

A real princess

Little Claus and Big Claus

Playing a bit with watercolors. Not particularly inspired by the demented tale of Little Claus and Big Claus, but here is Little Claus' dead grandmother nonetheless.

Driving To Town With My Grandmother

LAUNCH

Inspired by blogs like One Drawing For Every Page Of Moby Dick, the fanciful art of May Ann Licudine (and others), and my current preoccupation with fairy tales; I hereby announce a project I am undertaking for 2010 in an effort to stay motivated and be productive (and fun isn't bad either). I endeavor to create an illustration for each of Hans Christian Andersen's stories - some 156 in number - hopefully by the end of the year.
To what extent the illustrations will be fully finished pieces of art is as of yet uncertain. It is likely that the degrees of "finishedness" will vary greatly, from crude pencil sketches/doodles (I am rather fond of what Matt Kish is doing with found paper lately) to full color illustrations. Who knows? Some may graduate into actual paintings once my *studio* is fully functional.

As for now, I present my first interpretation; one for Andersen's The Tinderbox.

Eyes As Big As Teacups

Note: For those interested, my source is the translation by Erik Christian Haugaard; not necessarily the same as linked above.

Creativity Continues To Elude Me...

I started working on an owl drawing, but digital media does little for me these days. I'll probably never finish it. As much as I loathe the mess (especially in the confines of my tiny home), I still long for the physicality of a tangible medium. I'm not ready to haul the paint out again any time soon, but I have been doing a bit with some gel pens (circa 2000 - I'm amazed any of them still write), but I doubt I'll be able to elevate something best left to junior high girls' notebooks to the status of high art.